KIT TESTED: Weise Detroit jacket and Ruroc AT4.0 Track helmet

Posted

14 May 2025

Mark Lancaster

Dave Manning reports back on leather and lid…

While I do have textiles, and find them near perfect for riding in inclement weather, I still like to pull on a leather jacket and jeans when the mercury is high enough and we’re not inundated with precipitation. And they do favour the look that matches the sort of bike that I really like riding.

Of late, my leather jacket of choice has been this Weise Detroit jacket. Initially I’d chosen the Detroit as I liked the style, the retro look and the ‘distressed’ look of the leather which appealed to me, as I’ve always been the sort of person who gets a little embarrassed at being seen with new things (I’d always purposely scuffed my new shoes as a kid, and got any bright white trainers into the first muddy puddle I could find).

The Detroit was, initially, something of a snug fit, especially if I’d put on a hoodie first but, as is the case with pretty much any leather garment, it did give a little to become a superbly comfortable piece of kit. The cowhide leather is between 1.1mm and 1.3mm throughout, while safety is supplemented by armour in the elbows, shoulders and – a rarity for a new jacket nowadays – a supplied back protector.

It’s not the warmest, although the removable inner lining does help (it’s only a gilet though, so no sleeves), but then the style dictates that it hasn’t got a flap over the front zip, and it’s not perhaps as long at the rear as might be needed on fresh spring or autumn mornings. But that was exactly when I was wearing a hoodie, so all was good. The arms are slim, meaning longer gloves easily fit over the top, while I favour shorter gloves for most of the time anyway.

The zips are metal, so I was a little paranoid that the back edge of any petrol tank on a bike I was riding would get scratched, but the only zip-related trauma was when a pocket zip got sticky and I ended up pulling off the tag in rushed frustration. Naturally, the zip has worked perfectly ever since, albeit a tad more difficult to operate without the toggle.

What look like chest pockets are in fact zipped vents, which do actually seem to work when the weather is toasty, but perhaps the very best bit about this jacket, from my perspective, is the number of folk who’ve suggested that I ‘retire that battered old leather for a new one…’ and who retract their suggestion when I tell them to take a closer look and see that it’s a near-new jacket and as tough as they come. Perfect!

My favoured look also leans towards aggressively styled headwear. Two decades ago, I wore nothing on my napper aside from a Simpson RX8 helmet, and I continue to prefer a helmet that has a deep chin bar, albeit now desiring a little larger aperture through which to view the world. Old age has resulted in less flexibility and a lid with an aperture smaller than a letter box means you’ll not see everything that you need to when riding a bike. Consequently, I’ve started wearing more conventional helmets than the Simpsons (that were, in all fairness, designed for race car use), but when I first saw the Ruroc range, I was intrigued and keen to try.

Not being a fan of lurid or over-the-top livery, I’d no interest in the vast and varied variety of superhero and ‘monster’ themed schemes that the brand produces and wanted something a little more understated. After initially trying out a gunmetal-hued standard Atlas 4, I really didn’t get on with the magnetic chin strap catch (like really, really didn’t get on with it), and had thought that maybe the brand wasn’t for me.

But then Ruroc announced a version that’d be ACU approved, meaning it had a double d-ring chin strap, which I’ve always favoured as being the best type of securement, and realising that the ‘Inferno Red’ version of the AT4.0 Track would match the colours on my race Bandit, I grabbed myself one.

And I really like it. There’s something of a snobbishness amongst helmet ‘aficionados’ (we’ll not say what brands they wear, but you can guess), and they’re not especially favourable towards Ruroc for some reason. Okay, so they may not be the quietest, and the style may not appeal to you (those themed versions especially, but the Track is much more on-point with the colourways), but they’re relatively light (the carbon fibre shell helps here, the Track is 10 per cent lighter than the standard AT4.0); there isn’t the bleeding past the visor that Simpsons were notorious for, thanks to the new upper visor seal; stability is excellent on a naked bike (again, the polar opposite of a Simpson!) helped in no small part by the rear spoiler; the lining is soft and comfortable; and it features an innovative Rheon headliner which supplements the usual impact-absorbing liner for additional protection. Oh, and it’s compatible with Ruroc’s Shockwave Bluetooth audio system, too.

I’ll accept that not everyone wants a lid of this kind of style, and it’s perhaps not the sort of thing you’d see being used by someone on an adventure bike, tourer or sports bike. But that’s half the fun – it’s different, and I like it.